Keyboards can be used to check for Parkinson’s disease, study suggests

A study published in Nature Journal has found a new way for people to monitor themselves for symptoms of Parkinson’s disease at home, using an app and a computer keyboard.

The research involved examining how keystroke dynamics can be used to monitor the motor effects of Parkinson’s. The scientists looked at two groups of people, including 42 patients with early-stage Parkinson’s and 43 healthy volunteers. Each individual was asked to type out a passage of test for 10-15 minutes on a keyboard, while wired up to a computer with software designed to time each key’s press and release.

Analysis of the results identified a significant variation in the timing of each press and release among the group with Parkinson’s, whist the healthy group presented a more uniform pattern.

Luca Giancardo, the study’s lead author, commented: “This approach uses something we do normally — interacting with a digital device — so it does not add any additional burden or take time away from daily activities

“We were able to find a signature that allows us to detect Parkinson's disease in our cohort. We envisage that this could be used to fill in the gaps between visits to the neurologist, for example, or between other tests that cannot be carried out continuously."